Family's Christmas presents stolen

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A single mother of eight sacrificed to make the holiday special for her kids, but a real life Grinch stole their Christmas.

Tara Ktichen feels afraid and hopeless after burglars broke into her home while they slept and stole her family's Christmas. "He put the chair here," said one of her daughters. "They said it was two of them. They had a screw to open it, and they jumped through the window."

The men broke into the home at around 5 a.m., Tuesday morning. Her daughter, Tara Marshall was sleeping when she heard the door creaking. "I see him trying to sneak his head through my door," said Marshall, "trying to see if I was awake or not. Then I got scared, my heart was beating so fast I didn't know what to do, so I just called my mom."

Her mom, on the other side of the house, responded. "She was like, 'come, come, somebody's in my room,'" said Kitchen. "And when I got up I saw him standing in my front room. I was trying to get my phone, but I was scared to call the police."

She ran out to the living room and saw the burglar standing next to their Christmas tree. "He was standing right here where I'm standing at," said Kitchen. "Me and my kids were asleep, we could've been dead."

The men took their gifts. All she has left are the receipts. "It's just money gone," said Kitchen.

Now the family is scared for their lives. "I don't want to stay here no more," said Marshall. "It don't make no sense. Like, why would somebody do that to us? We don't have nothing else. We don't have no Christmas. We have nothing. It don't make no sense."

Police were able to pull fingerprints from the window the burglars broke in through, but they still have no idea who the two men are.

Fort Lauderdale Police put up a perimeter in hopes of finding the men but did not succeed.

If you have any information on this robbery, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

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